Reed Wins Suspension Appeal; Will Play This Sunday

The veteran safety won his appeal of the one-game suspension that the NFL initially handed down for violating the league’s player safety rules. Instead of the one-game suspension without pay, which would have included forfeiting a $423,529 game check, Reed will now be fined $50,000 and serve no suspension.

The appeal was heard by former NFL defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, who was appointed by the NFL and NFL Players Association to be an arbitrator in such cases. Reed, Newsome, Head Coach John Harbaugh and President Dick Cass participated in the appeals process.

Reed has a stellar reputation that extends outside the Ravens locker room, and a number of players voiced their support for the veteran safety. Even Steelers safety Ryan Clark tweeted that he disagreed with the suspension.

“Tough on Ed getting suspended,” Clark wrote. “I can’t say that I agree w that. It was a penalty but I don’t believe he was intentionally trying to harm E.”

The suspension initially came after Reed was flagged for unnecessary roughness in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Reed made a helmet-to-helmet hit on wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, which was his third violation of the rules protecting defenseless players in the last three seasons.